I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Politics and Homeschooling In Oklahoma
The last two days have been amazing in the US. Finally, after 8 years, we have a real grown up in the White House. *blub*
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Pardon me, I have something in my eye….
Of course now the party is over and it’s time to get back to work. This is far from the time to rest on our laurels, it’s the time to turn up the fire and demand the promises that were made. As from little acorns come mighty Oak trees, from little words come mighty changes in the US.
I’m cranking up the heat here in Oklahoma, I might even pull out the torches and pitchforks. A proposed bill in here OK is threatening to add more oversight to homeschoolers. In all honesty I don’t for see this going far. OK is one of the most home school friendly states, and for that reason we have a pretty large population of homeschoolers. This isn’t a fight they want to take on. What really has my cackles up is Senator Jim Wilson proposing this new bill with stereotypes and misguided information as his reasoning. It’s sort of the political version of “I knew this one home school kid once who couldn’t read, therefore all homeschoolers are stupid and not being educated.”
One of his reasons is that homeschoolers who go back to school are behind. OK, what about the ones who don’t go back? What percentage of homeschoolers are going back? What are their reasons for going back? As Dana says
Fancy that. Parents who find themselves failing at this whole home education thing put their children back in school. On their own. Without the state telling them they have to. Do you think just maybe these parents care enough about their children to realize things aren’t working out and to seek out alternatives?
I wonder more about the kids in public school are are falling behind and not receiving an education and their parents just leave them there. Wouldn’t that be more abusive than seeing that what you are trying is not working and trying something else? Wouldn’t be be worse if they saw they were failing and decided not to put their kids in a public school? Why is doing the right thing by your kids proof that everyone is doing it wrong?
He also claims “potential abuse”. Right, because parents are so naturally cruel and disgusting that if we allow them to actually be near their kids they will of course abuse them. Dear gods, we better make public school a year long thing! Quick, cancel spring break! Mandatory Saturday school! Increase the school day to 10 hours! Do something, anything, to make sure parents don’t have the chance to be near their kids and potentially abuse them! Can you see me rolling my eyes? I’ve yet to hear a rational explanation of why homeschooling is “potential abuse” other than that parents are with their kids. Does that make me a potential bank robber for walking into the bank? Or a potential drunk driver for owning both a car and beer? Do public school parents become potential abusers the minute school is out for the summer?
From where I sit it seems a bit defensive to me. I’ve shared before just how poorly schools in Oklahoma rank and how when polled the majority of parents here want another option for their kids. So of course instead of working to fix the schools some circle their wagons around the schools and scream that anything else is wrong or abusive. Heaven forbid the Senator say “Look, our schools have serious issues that need to be taken care of.” No, instead he’s pointing his finger and shouting “Oh yeah, well, well, well they let their kids watch TV and might be abusing them!” It’s sort of like when I ask Evan if he’s the one who made a mess on the carpet and he starts telling me how his brother pushed the button the DVD player.
How about before proposing bills on what homeschoolers have to do and making claims of “potential abuse”, you work on fixing the issues that the public schools are facing. Worry about the 74% of 4th graders in public school who are behind reading levels before sounding the alarm that homeschoolers might be doing this and might be doing that.
I know that the last 8 years have put a dent in that wacky idea of “innocent until proven guilty”, but let’s try to claim some of that shall we. Don’t accuse me of potentially abusing my kids, maybe sticking them in front of a TV all day, and possibly not teaching them until you’ve got something better than “Well, it could happen” as your proof.
Great post! If I were Sen. Wilson I wouldn’t want to tangle with you.
Brandon Dutcher\´s last blog post..Why homeschooling laws are unnecessary
I could say a lot on this one, I have five homeschooled kids… and I am so sick of the lame ass stereotypes that go on. What about all the public school kids that can’t read? And furthermore, they are my kids, therefore, I raise them, not some teacher. Just another way to destroy families… And who the heck says my kid has to learn something at a certain age??? Oh man, I better stop before I tell them all to f-off!
So, those kids who go back to public school….are they behind the public school kids are behind in the same way that the public school kids are performing below state standards?
Rose\´s last blog post..Too dumb to watch television